So… About last night…

A little over 72 hours since we witnessed the total capitulation and 5-1 home defeat to Bolton Wanderers, Reading roll into town and repeat the same trick.

The defeat wasn’t quite as severe, but conceding four goals on home soil is never a good sign and it’s far worse when they continue to be soft goals we’re making no discernible effort to defend.

An entire club in disarray is conducive to such results, of course, but fans have every right to expect a response after the humiliating defeat on Saturday. Players should be chomping at the bit to get back out there and put things right, but Leeds United are a team of cowardly misfits who don’t possess the character to ride out a storm, far less, bounce back following the total destruction of our home ground.

“Keep fighting” so says the unofficial club motto coined by Billy Bremner, a man who must be turning in his grave watching eleven overpaid footballers make a mockery of the club’s badge, all the while questioning what happened to the fighting spirit his club was built on. Out of respect, someone should head down to Elland Road and erect a screen around his statue to prevent his imagery being associated with this disparate band of misfits.

The man responsible for all this is debatable. I’d start with David Haigh personally for the chaos he caused leading up to Cellino’s takeover, but there’s a list of names you can hold accountable, on which, Brian McDermott’s name must feature prominently.

If you read this site regularly, you’ll know I’ve been a strong supporter of McDermott from day one, I’ve defended poor performances because he’s always had mitigating circumstances like the total lack of financial support in transfer windows and incompetent individuals creating chaos above him.

But McDermott’s days are numbered now and while he’ll only add to a list of managers who’ve been misled and promised the world at Elland Road, only to see their plans scuppered by circumstance, Leeds United need a manager who thrives in adversity, because Leeds United’s default position is adversity. McDermott isn’t that man.

He shares the same fundamental flaw as most of his players. While his power has been indisputably undermined by those above him and the conditions he’s had to work under are by no means fair, adversity has a way of separating the strong from the weak. The fighters from the shrinking violets.

Almost every name on Leeds United’s teamsheet, the manager included, lacks the character needed to ride out the storms this club is constantly hit by. Say what you will about some of our past managers, but you knew a response was coming when Simon Grayson’s team were humiliated. You knew he’d take action, whether that meant isolating players and causing a bit of tension, the club’s form soon corrected itself.

Dennis Wise and competent football manager should never be used in the same sentence, but even he knew how to use adversity to his favour. Leeds came out looking like a team possessed following that 15 point deduction, on Saturday and again last night, Leeds were a team going through the motions, totally void of the fight, determination and togetherness we need to ride out these storms.

Like players, some managers just don’t belong at certain clubs. If all was calm at Elland Road, the Jimmy Kebe’s of this world would be tearing the division apart, but we have too many characters who cower at the first sign of choppy waters and in McDermott, we have a manager who doesn’t seem able to correct that.

At Reading, things were different for both Brian McDermott and Jimmy Kebe. They didn’t have to contend with the same expectations and pressures that go hand-in-hand with life at Leeds United, they were a relatively small team performing well, the whole world was behind them. That’s never going to be the case at Elland Road. Even at our very best, players and managers will have their critics, people will hate us for no apparent reason, the pressure only intensifies and it takes big characters to cope with that.

There are plenty of people responsible for the predicament we currently find ourselves in, but McDermott is sinking along with the rest of them. The right manager for any football club depends on the circumstances, and in these turbulent times which will doubtless repeat irrespective of the takeover outcome, McDermott doesn’t have the character to get his team performing, ergo, he’s now the wrong man for the job.

Time for the manager to go now. I have supported him, but time has shown he isn’t firm enough with the team. Whatever is happening off the field, should stay off the field! Mid table this year, simply not good enough. Some of the players must go too.

Bluesman

I understands the sentiments expressed in this blog and I agree that we may or may not benefit from a change of manager, but I whole heartily disagree about bringing in a manager who can flourish working in adversity! BM is that man. He has endured the most dreadful times at ER snd somehow managed to keep us together. Even with this great strength, however, ther are numerous forces pulling us apart! The administration of the club has been a joke for 15 years snd now, with FH it is a shambles. It is total delusion to believe that any manager can work in these circumstances. We have never really bought any top defenders recent years and we are taking a chance on some of the ones we have. The team doesn’t have the character or the quality to do any better. Keep doing what you have always done and you will keep getting what. Payouts always get, every season at this juncture.

Tim

Good article. Much as we have all tried to support Brian, and nice guy that he is, I’m afraid nice and Leeds United don’t go together. If Cellino doesn’t pass muster then we are in a real mess and under those circumstances who will pay 25 million when they can scavenge up the club for a lot less out of administration. If Cellino gets the green light then either way Brian now has to go.
Matt Smith is tailor made for an average Leeds side and should be starting. Stewart should have come on for Pugh last night in my opinion. McCormack is well out of form and I would have rested him last night and there doesn’t seem to be any plan or structure to the play. The fact is the game was lost at 4 – 0 so no point Brian saying we should have scored five goals – well of course we should but it was never going to happen.

Ron

Brian didn’t realise that if we scored 5, the game ends up 12-5 to Reading.

Rich

Agree completely except they did show character after taking pelters from the crowd. There is very little kinship between players and supporters, Ive never known such antipathy at Elland Road as there has been since Warnock came in and its continued to this day. A total clearout is needed including the manager who cant seem to get the players warming up professionally never mind playing with any heart.

MK_81

I’m just grateful that, touchwood, we won’t be going down this season. Since Christmas we have been an utter shambles.

I can’t see Brian staying much longer, but more important than that even is sorting the ownership out as the finances appear to be on a knife-edge. The last thing we need is -10 points now as, although there are several other rubbish teams in the league down the bottom, I don’t think we will have the fight for it and you know one or two of the Millwalls and Yeovils will string a few wins together out of nowhere.

ps Zaliukas appears to be the new Rachubka which is a shame, but Tom Lees is just plain not good enough for a top 6 side.

Also, the lack of a midfielder who can calm things down, get on the ball and play some nice accurate passes is if anything our greatest weakness, and Eddie talking about no-one in midfield wanting the ball last night was really worrying. Mowatt can be excused and you can’t really expect much actual composure from the bull-in-a-chinashop Austin but Murphy has not shown nearly enough yet given his price tag. We miss an Andy Reid type player to give us a solid midfield foundation to build from.

maxwatson

Agree with much of this, but almost all season and since he came, Murphy has been acting as a defensive midfielder (despite having a decent goalscoring record with Crewe), having to win the ball back because the ball is given away so much in midfield, usually by Austin. I say “almost all season” because we had an initial run of good results while Austin was suspended, and we still haven’t managed to put 2 and 2 together from that.

Irony is that we almost had Tabanelli in the Austin position and I suspect that would have fixed quite a bit.

Zaliukas’ performances have been terrible, and I blame him for the hospital pass that led to the first goal, but I think the broader issue is that the current playing staff is just not familiar or flexible enough to play 3 at the back. It works if the opposition is even less familiar, but against Reading it got completely found out. Reading in particular were playing with 4 “natural” wingers and no “natural” strikers, so on encountering a system that is vulnerable to flank play probably could not believe their luck.

MK_81

As much as I’ve liked Austin in the past and his past good beast-like performances, I think he needs to be replaced with a player with more composure and the slightest hint of passing ability, to pick the ball up off the defence and interlink with Mowatt/Murphy and the wingers. It can’t be overstated how much most of our problems stem from losing control of the midfield battle, poor possession retention and passing accuracy.

Austin could be our new Michael Brown sub and/or away from home choice, when we’re likely to be under more pressure and attacking on the break etc.

I’m sure there is more to come from Murphy (he says hopefully) and certainly Mowatt.

Irving08

Surely knowing the opposition is one of ‘the basics’, Max. Brian says that he did pick a team with Reading in mind. But one look at the number and quality of Reding wide players ilisted in the programme was enough to predict the team they would put out. This is their strength. The irony is that Brian signed or has managed all of them. Even then he omitted our one central defender with any pace, Peltier (unless he was injured).

maxwatson

The rumour is that Peltier and Warnock went out drinking after Saturday’s game and were disciplined as a result (hence Adam Pope’s question). Given Kebe also absent I think the team probably picked itself, apart from formation.

Irving08

As opposed to staying in and drinking ? !

Dfooster

You can put us in whatever league you like but there will always be expectation from the fans at this club. The trouble is most of the players especially the likes of Kebe are just not up to the challenge of playing for a big club like Leeds.

White

Maybe the fans should try face reality and lower their expectations. Playing in front of thousands of deluded supporters is extremely conducive to teams crumbling

Irony is, McDermott – like every manager who went before him – came to this club because of it’s size. If you can’t handle big expectations, you won’t survive at Elland Road.

Dr Zen

I think he probably came because he wanted a job. I mean, did Grayson go to Huddersfield “because of its size”? I suppose you could argue that managers will go to the biggest club that will hire them, much the same as players, but I doubt there really are that many who would go, hmmm, think I’ll stay unemployed because Club X are not big enough for me. Some, for sure, but not the McDermotts of this world.

Well, if you remember, his plan was to wait until end of the season before considering his options but jumped straight in simply because it was Leeds. Grayson probably wanted to stay local as much as anything else.

Ron

Agreed. Until we have financially viable owners, I have no expectation except turbulent results.

Irving08

We are what we are, just as Leeds is what it is. We may have our ilusions, but without them we woudn’t turn up. I think we are remarkably patient, actually.

Dr Zen

I wish this wasn’t true and I wish we could stand behind BMD after the great attitude he showed when he was “sacked”. But I think you have nailed it.

We are now miles away from good enough. And I’m really doubtful it’s now a matter of just splashing some money around and it all comes right. At the moment I’d be wary of trusting BMD with the job even if Cellino has the bankroll.

And I don’t think it’s because we’re a “big club”. Who are we kidding? Right now we’re nothing like it. Teams spend more in a summer than our entire worth. We cannot sustain a midtable Championship team without injections of money. We were a successful club when the gap between big and small was nothing like so huge, and when we took a shot at becoming even slightly “big”, we crashed and burned. We have totally unrealistic expectations that we are nowhere near reaching and wouldn’t reach even if Cellino could invest every cent of the money he got for selling Cagliari, once he’s bought Elland Road (we might buy our way back into the Premiership but seriously, right now we do not have even one player who would be good enough for any team in the top half and barely any good enough for any in the bottom half — there’s a good reason there was no queue for McCormack either last summer or in January, when he could likely have been bought in either window).

I doubt there’s any manager who could deliver for us where we are now. But likely there are quite a few who could do better than BMD at this point. Is it time to make the switch? Dunno. Wouldn’t want to say whether it’s better to have someone start afresh in the summer, mould his own side, or have the rest of the season to work with what we have now and see how it can be transformed. TBH, I think it’s probably better to stick right now and see whether Cellino passes the fit and proper test or whether we face another administration and are possibly looking at a spot that’s even worse than we’re now in.

John

This stuff about the club situation being the cause of these terrible events does not hold water. We managed a good run earlier in the season under similar circumstances so why not now. I have had a number of circumstances where my work place was under real threat, as managers the job was to keep people motivated and believing as this was the best way to attract buyers. People responded in good old dunkirk spirit. Managers and employees alike fighting for their pride and job. For me this is BMD’s role and he has failed. The players have a lot to answer for as well of course.

I would not replace him now as we would not get anyone else at present.

mrbigwheels

The Square Ball talk of ”gutless”… this morning, with reference to the team.
I feel like many others will do this morning that I’ve got ‘gut ache’.

The usual cure is withdraw from nourishment, drink water and don’t make hasty movements. We perhaps need to let the bug pass through. Hopefully by the 20th of this month a cure is in sight and most casualties of the present sickness can be released to an out-patients catagory… Most at Leeds need some milk of magnesia and Eddie Gray dishing out the dosage. Some will need more than others… Midfielders going to get the ball from the defence would need a double dose for starters and made to watch… lutv vids like we do on how to pass the ball up the pitch towards the oppo goal would help.

Gutless with Gut ache… there is no excuse from any of them… Total disgrace.

Ron

Big Mac knows it is all over. In his defence the club’s ownership situation has been a joke for so long, I’m beginning to fear we don’t know half of the situation and won’t until it’s too late. If you’ve ever worked somewhere when the company was being taken over or was awaiting clarification on its very survival, you’ll understand how difficult it is to get motivated. Football is a funny game. When Cellino first came on the scene, he copped all sorts of stick from Leeds fans, some of it warranted regarding the manager’s sacking and reinstatement. Yet now here we sit, and Cellino is our only hope. For such a big club with a great tradition, we seem to be at the mercy of rogue millionaires far too often. Are we still a prize asset? Or have we deluded ourselves?

MAB

I’m not sure it’s right questioning whether BMD is a fighter or a shrinking violet. I mean really, would a lesser manager still be at our club given the farcical summer and even more farcical January we’ve had? Isn’t everyone just a bit tired of constantly changing manager? Who would we get? What manager with any quality and their whits about them would join our club right now? There will be the same old names thrown in the hat, most of whom have been sacked for similarly inept performances at other clubs, and then the ridiculous names like David O’Leary or Gary Kelly. At the start of the season EVERYONE predicted a mid-table finish based on our squad, and look where we are. What’s changed? I think the players have a lot to answer for these past few weeks for lack of effort, but did anyone really expect we’d make the playoffs at the start of the season, let alone given everything that has gone on?

Ev

my god hes here to to pick up his pay cheque, if he resigns he doesn’t get his 1.6 million……..

MAB

He could have easily claimed constructive dismissal and not come back when he was sacked in January and would have had a full payout with possible compensation on top. Maybe you forgot about that incident?

maxwatson

The problem I have with this is, if you’d have looked round a couple of years ago for a manager that thrived in adversity you’d have turned up Neil Warnock, who can take a fair amount of responsibility for the current situation, both on the pitch and, to an extent, (given his signings of a large number of highly paid journeyman players, who inflate the wage bill without appreciably improving the fortunes of the team) off it.

For all that people are having a go at him for Kebe, the best Leeds players last night were Murphy, Wickham and Smith, all brought in this season.

The issue is, from a team point of view, the only managers who’ve really succeeded have been the ones allowed to take a long term view and who have been given the time and money to achieve it. Wilkinson, whatever the restraints over time, was given plenty of money to get out of D2, to an extent afforded neither to Gray or Bremner.

Brian’s not the current problem. Fix the off-field issues (or let them play out, rather than undermine a replacement), let him replace the Warnock dud generation and give him a chance to see if he can get the basics right, then if he’s terrible (which I doubt), fire him.

Irving08

Pearce, a Warnock signing, is not ‘dud'; over the sason he probably shades McCormak for consistency of performance. Nor was Green a ‘dud’, while Varney offered more than Hunt. I grant you Murphy and Smith, but are Wooton and Zaliukas good signings ? Wickham is obviously a top player in the making, but if he is to count as a signing, then so too do the hapless Kebe and Stewart. As for getting ‘the basics right’, I dont think Brian does. So what are the ‘basics’ ? I suggest (a) picking your best players and then (b) playing them in their best positions and only after that (c) pondering the formation that optimises (a) and (b). I think Brian has failed to do that on a sufficiently consistent basis to warrant a further season. But the case against Brian isn’t really about these or other basics (you may have others in mind). He simply lacks authority. Look at Sean Dyche and Nigel Pearson (neither of whom may be better coaches than Brian) and you may see what I mean.

mrbigwheels

Ha ha Irving… In your latter comment , are you suggesting that, (as mi’ mother would say), ‘ He’s not the right shape’…

Irving08

Sign her up MBW.

Thommohawk

Totally agree that the manager isn’t the problem. BMD and NW both have won the league before with other clubs. The problem is our players are simply not good enough, you can count on the 1 hand the players you’d keep in any division at this club but you need both hands to list the players in the first team who need replacing because they just aren’t of the quality or mental toughness that we need.

That entire defence wants gutting, we need centre halves who are both experienced at this level as well as physically strong and/or athletic. None of which describes any of the current back four hence why we’re shipping goals left and right and we’re in mid table despite having the league’s top scorer up front.

Clearly it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work this one out…

I also think Rudy Austin blows hot and cold far too much, when he’s playing summat like the team usually does well but when he’s not playing well he’s the one passing the ball to the opposite team more than anyone else. So I think we need to replace him with consistent players in his position who have presence and can pass and tackle.

Also I don’t normally advocate bringing back ex players because you move forward as a club not backwards, but I will admit what I wouldn’t give to have Gradel and Snodgrass on the wings instead of Kebe and Stewart….

mrbigwheels

”Keep fighting”…? Very few other than Brian are at this present moment…imo.

Ilkleywhite

End of the line I’m afraid, there should be no excuse for such poor play, last night’s
performance for 65 minutes was truly awful, I knew we were in for a bad time
when the kick off was delayed for 1/2 an hour, some of the staff and players haven’t
got here they said, then Peace and Butland MISUNDERSTOOD each other, from a
seemly innocent backpass from Zaliukas both didn’t know what to do, the
Reading forward raced through the gap before calmly knocked it into an
empty net, second half starts, don’t think Leeds had a shot on goal first half,
can’t remember their keeper making any kind of save, though I’m sure he touched
the ball, free kick outside the area, bang 2-0 down, then a free header for
goal number “3” and another defensive “error” for the
4th, Zaliukas goes off, Smith comes on, at least we are now winning balls in the
air, and Smithy scores, a stab into the net, but still his 10th of the
season, Austin then scores a screamer, and is now a man that can spray
40/50 yard passes, we start to look half decent again, Smithy rises in the air
the ball flicks off his head goal kick, Smithy smashes his hand into the ground
3 or 4 times, at least some passion there, but we still lose 4-2, so today the
“morning after the night before”, or the “morning after 2 games
before”, depends on which way you look at it, we are looking at another
heavy home defeat, so that’s 9 goals in two HOME GAMES, and a very uncertain
future, Mr Cellino saying he will not put any more money into the club, until
the Football League sorts out the ownership issue, and he has been humiliated, we
are on the brink of administration with all that goes with that, don’t be
surprised if we do go into administration, if we get a
“heavier” penalty than -10 points, look at Luton -30 alright that was
for certain “Financial irregularities” but we are talking about Leeds United
here, and two administration’s within 6 years, not good, we are the club the
Football League loves to hate, so don’t be surprised if they make an example of
us, Mr Cellino will want his money back, of course he will, apparently that’s
around £10 million but whatever it is, it’s still a substantial amount, so here
we are again, technically bankrupt the Football League stopping a takeover, but
other clubs have their backers, and some of them are shady characters to say
the least, and in the words of Henry the 5th “once more unto the
breach dear friends, once more”. MOT

Irving08

It didn’t look like an ‘innocent backpass’ to me: more like a dangerous pass, casually executed, across the penalty area, sufficiently problematic to create confusion for goalkeeper and centre half. Starting with Zaliukas at all displayed bias (Peltier is a better central defender). Reverting to a failed formation smacked of hubris. After the match Brian said that he picked a team that he thought could beat Reading. What ? – Danny Pugh up against Gareth McCleary in a 3-5-2 ! I dread to think what the score might have been had the Reading boy not gone off injured.

Colin

TSS wishing we had a manager of the ilk of Simon Grayson or Dennis Wise.

I knew it would happen one day. He’s gone completely mad. Nurse! Nurse!

timh65

Excellent article, i agree with every word. initialy thiught that BMD was the man to bring Leeds united back to prem, but alas another false dawn.

Irving08

I am in complete agreement TSS. The wonder is that it has taken you so long to say it.

Robert Darlington

Hearing a lot of problems but no solutions. Who is the perfect manager who can thrive with these same players that conceded 9 goals in two games? Who can overcome the total farce that is the ownership situation that he has no say in. Who can power through the massive debts caused by continual failure at the top.
You’re dreaming if you think that throwing yet another new manager with another new vision and another new system at Leeds will put us back where we belong.
A decade’s worth of new managers has left us in the middle of the second division with clubs like Blackburn (another club that’s had a succession of managers under crackpot owners).
It’s time fans stopped calling for the lazy option and looked at the bigger picture.

Colin

I wouldn’t get rid of Brian McDermott. He is one of the few (only) stable points of this club. The season is effectively over and once it’s mathematically over, McDermott can experiment to his hearts content. I do believe that a manager should get 3 years to prove himself. He’s only had a year and under some pretty tricky circumstances too.

Getting a new manager would take us back a full season – a new manager with the old manager’s players, looking to get rid of some of those players, and bring his own players in etc. etc.

Gurtie

im with you my man no need for new manager, just need to ride it out and hope we aint on a huge slide down

spellz

Listen I have been a fan of McD from the very start and have defended him in the dark times till the cows come home but the form of our team is inexcusable, he has to go, if he cannot motivate the squad now , what makes you think he will in another 2 years? yes he has had a large part of Warnocks signings personally I think some of them are quite good definitely could led a team to Championship promotion, they just have not got the right man who tactically and personally motivates them lets be fair Brian is a bit sheepish and they need someone who is gonna give them the hair dryer treatment and tell them to start playing for the badge or fuck off and find another club to play for.

Also McD a stable point of this club? his job hangs in the balance and has already been rein-stated he is as stable as pavarotti walking a tightrope.

Matthew

Personally I think we should go back to playing without Wingers this season. Can’t do any worse than we have done. The old trusty diamond formation should make a return. If memory serves me correctly we didn’t concede 9 goals in 2 home games with it before.

mrbigwheels

”McDermott isn’t that man”… Who the hell is then?. What’s his name?.

My interests are only… the future of this Club.
Stability with some entertaining football, would be good.

So we sack him soon. What’s the plan?. Who is this replacement going to be?.

You know TSS, a man who has to deal with a mainly brainless, non thinking, fairly untalented squad. A man who will no doubt get bucket fulls of promises from,, at this point, a largely unstable ownership, (could be Cellino, could be Cellino/Haigh, could even be Flowers/Farnon/Haigh… who knows?). A man the fans will want him one week and want him out another. A man who will take all the flack, (the team’s not going anywhere), be polite but steely and want to be here at ‘Ell Hole Road to take us into the promised land…

Can’t wait… You started this above.

Ev

we need a caretaker coach till summer, id go for Eddie Grey but I don’t think hed fancy it….who the hell would ?
Other than that pray Sunderland get relegated so we can poach Poyet….
I don’t think Hoddle would fancy the Leeds job as we don’t eat Prawn sandwhiches and we are North of the Watford Gap

mrbigwheels

I doubt any one has really got a name to slap on the wall as McD’s successor… Very easy to wave a flag as long as it’s on the end of a pole.

Funny thing is… the Club hasn’t got the money for this months wages never mind paying off Brian and his coaching staff…

One thing I’m not counting on is Cellino owning this Club.
Farnon/Flowers/Haigh could well be in as things stand… imo.

.

Ev

I don’t think Farnans group is the way either…..they are talking about taking massive loans out…….. Far better if the fans buy out the club or we will forever be going backwards and forwards with crap owners

Tim

No chance of that and it wouldn’t work LUST for example you must be joking!
They couldn’t run a piss in a puddle.

Ev

Who said anything about LUST ?? we do it the same way other clubs have……… Local councillors / Mps / business owners would need to lead it.

Old Goat

A couple of things puzzle me about the Cellino situation….
I’d thought that some time ago he was on record as saying that if the FL objected to him (personally) then he would somehow rearrange the ownership of Eleonara Sports -possibly using relatives, other nominees or, increasingly plausibly,even Haigh as directors- with his own shareholding reduced below the ten percent threshold for the O & DT. You’d think that on a lawyer’s desk somewhere would be a folder marked Plan B, ready to go through the FL’s letterbox thirty seconds after a “no” verdict, but nowadays such a scenario is never mentioned and all the talk is of him walking away.
Secondly, surely Cellino now owns – or is very close to owning – twenty five percent of the total debt. Certainly any alliance with Haigh would top the twenty five percent mark which- as we found out from the Bates takeover – can frustrate any CVA or any purchase out of administration – including a Farnham-led one.

mrbigwheels

Can’t comment on your first part but as to your second comments… I’m sure you are correct. My own feelings are a lack of trust with what is going on with Cellino and Haigh. I can see admin coming. Am sure the actual debts are greater than are being mentioned. This share swapping is alarming and could be the main culprit in why the FL are waiting on further information from GFH, rather than information from Cellino.

I just feel there is some financial engineering going on at the mo’. Brian is so uneasy with this ownership thing. Some are saying he’s blaming performance on that. I think he’s wiser than we are giving him the benefit of. There is a big chance wages are not going to be paid this month plus other creditors waiting!.

Cellino could pull the plug on Leeds yet and just want his money back. No wonder there are nervous looking employees.

.

Ev

Agree with TSS, the lack of funding is the route cause. In December BM dropped a gaff and stated publicly that his players weren’t good enough, its bad enough for players to see the online frenzy from fans debating players qualities let alone their manager confirming the view that many of them have no future at ER.
So he lost the dressing room. The only thing that could have saved BM was a very productive January and as we know he wasn’t backed. As pressure was applied BM started to crumble and his decision making has become poor, reacting slowly or not at all rather than being pro-active. I think his panic is simply adding to the players own confidence issues.
Leadership has to come from the top and it isn’t. I feel for BM as he is more a victim than the perpetrator but we are where we are.
When the Going gets tough, the tough get going….
We need a new coach with a strong character. Keeping BM may drag us into a relegation battle.

Bluesman

You have to back B M. He is Leeds a United snd has been for some time. He has carried Leeds, he has kept the club together snd stood but us when we needed him without zb M we are nothing. BM is a Good manager but he needs a fair crack of the whip. We all know that this team hasn’t got what it takes. Many will be gone in a few weeks time. Let’s hope that the takeover goes through soon snd that BM is given the support he deserves from ALL of us. Mr Bigwheels is right sbout this as he usually is!

Ev

So the last two games haven’t convinced you that BM has lost the dressing room, that hes struggling to motivate his players and lift the mood ???!!! Its too late to back him………. that should have been done in the summer and again in January. The club needs dramatic change now and the only reason BM hasn’t resigned is because he wants to pick up his pay cheque

bd

If we sack B.M that three managers in championship with no progression in the league.You cant attract top quality managers because we are in the wrong league and no money has been given to any manager during the summer. SO what will change if you sack him?
Give him 4/5 million in the summer as he has proved to spend well for Reading

oldschoolbaby

The article is spot on. But the sad truth is we no longer live in a society that nurtures and produces men of character. Expecting to routinely find the attribute in overpaid, overpampered, footballers is a little foolish.
Mr Darlington is right. We have become expert at spotting problems and the more important half of the equation, identifying solutions, is largely ignored. None of us had ever heard of GFH but the Bates problem irked us so much we welcomed them with open arms. There was an honesty to getting shafted by a man who was contemptuous of us. Getting shafted by people who smile and pat us on the head has to be a lot worse
You can`t defend Brian but perhaps common decency is all we have to cling to right now. It is definitely all we have to cling to until a viable, feasible successor is signed and sealed. If you strip it back a lot of the current clamour is for a “Roy Keane”. And I`d welcome him with the contents of Alfie Haaland gun cabinet.

spellz

“If you strip it back a lot of the current clamour is for a “Roy Keane”. And I`d welcome him with the contents of Alfie Haaland gun cabinet.”

The only thing regarding Leeds that put a smile on my face in the last two weeks thank you for that bd.

Irving08

Sean Dyche looks characterful OS.

oldschoolbaby

I`m not sure Sean Dyche skips to the appointments page when he picks up a newspaper at the moment.
Somewhat perversely I`m an admirer of Adkins. He exudes authority
More pragmatically, seeing as the club doesn`t have two ha`pennies to scratch its arse with and Cellino may be sailing his yacht back out to tax exempt international waters, how do we propose to pay off McD ?

Irving08

Me neither – and I might see my way to agreeing on the immensely annoying Adkins. I wonder, Brian is on ‘a very steep learning curve’ (don’t you just love these modern expressions ?), maybe, just maybe, he can stagger on until the end of the season and emerge this August ready to manage a club like Leeds. How anyone ever thought that the Thames Valley would throw up a man ready to step straight into the Manager’s job at Leeds beats me. I have been thinking of another role Brian could be given at the club, if not that of the Manager. He will know that this is the biggest club he will have the privilege to be associated with and it would hurt him immensely to be parted from us. I know he is well- paid to fail, but we are about more than money, and Brian is too. Director of Football ?

oldschoolbaby

I`ve been somewhat impressed by Pellegrini. I read somewhere that he`d generated a form of serenity at the Etihad. If true it`s a remarkable achievement amidst the money and egos prevailing there.
I was underwhelmed by his appointment but I was hoping McD`s paternalistic, measured approach could create something skin to that model
If he`d have held his nerve he may have had a chance. Now the panic and waffle have set in he`ll have to be a latter day Lazarus to recover
Footballers are like dogs, they can only serve one master. So no Director of Football for me

Irving08

Head Scout ? – no, I agree, this is getting ridiculous. In parenthesis, the local media, with its ridiculous 10 games to go, we can do it, stuff, which no serious fan could possibly believe, hasn’t done Brian any favours. Also the new glasnost’ has led to an unreasonable degree of accountability.

spellz

Wow, why is there always a crisis at our club? we cannot even get the fundamentals right of how a club actually runs, we are constantly on a rocking ship with McD the next man overboard, I like TSS have been a big supporter of McD from day one but he has to go and before you kiss arse McD supporters start blaming everything around him and off the field issues, wake up and smell the coffee….. the manager is who picks the team,
the manager is the direct source of tactics we play and the manager is who motivates a team after getting slaughtered at home 5-1 to an average Championship side, I mean for christ sakes we got knocked out the cup to rochdale 2-0….ROCHDALE I mean what did he say to them after that game that gave them the grit and determination to win the next match, a local derby might I add………. fuck knows as we went out there and lost 5-1 we are getting battered left right and centre by teams and as the off the field matters contribute, somewhat marginally in my opinion, correct me if I am wrong the players and managers are still receiving their pay, it is a fucking joke.

At the end of the day McD has brought in two great loan signings in Butland and Wickham I knew Kebe was a joke from his first three games (check my earlier posts)
I bet they cannot wait to return to their clubs in the near future after the team they hoped they could help with a promotion push suddenly look like they are in a relegation scrap just ridiculous and the drama continues…….

Tim

But I understand we are committed to Stewart with a three year deal?

spellz

I think he has potential, out of him and Kebe he definitely has the most but 3 years? we will have to see how that pans out, if it was me I would have trialed him before putting pen to paper for a whopping 3 years but we do have a tendency as a club to throw money down the drain in some way or another.

Irving08

But Stewart, like Wooton, Tongue, and many others, who peaked so young that they were good enough to command the attention of a top team such as Man Utd, is going downwards, and this must have a negative effect on his state of mind. It is a common story, and one we should be familiar with from our Youth Cup winining team of the 1990s. Confidence can be rebuilt, of course; but Elland Road is not the place to do it. I would have expected a man who has been in the game as long as Brian to understand such simple truths.

Grumpy

I thought a permanent deal was dependent on us getting promoted?

Matthew

I think the main problem is that we’re in relegation form, nah Sunday league football form and McDermott seemingly has no way to stop the rot. Nah rot seems too kind, more catastrophic failure.

spellz

I know, don’t get me wrong I feel in some way sorry for the man as he has walked into a circus for a football club but he still gets a wage we all envy and to manage Leeds United, at this point I do not know what he has proved so far that warrants his pay check and I genuinely have had high hopes for him since he arrived but as you said he cannot stop this rot and it is a failure on his part.

Matthew

That’s just it, I don’t believe we’re truly awful enough to concede 9 goals in 2 games and go on a long run without many wins. Part of the blame has to go on the manager, as harsh as it sounds. For a number of reasons, which need not be repeated as you and everyone else knows anyway.

spellz

Exactly, sometimes I wonder what it is that is making us such an abysmal football side it is obviously a mixture of alot of bad management from the ever changing board to the ever baffled managers.
At the end of the day though, I do believe the manager of a football club providing he has a say on what goes on should take much more responsibility to the success of a club at the end of the day if it all went right and we got promoted this season all the plaudits would have went to McD but the fact is he has underwhelmed and is way to passive to put the fire in the players bellys and we keep losing in a ridiculous manner there is no confidence at all and who will inspire the confidence if the manager won’t sorry but McD OUT.

Matthew

I do think a lot of it has to do with the lack of ambition and greed displayed during the Bates era by Bates, we had a lot of genuinely good players who were sold for less than their actual worth who we haven’t actually replaced, we went from being a mid table prem quality team with a poor defense in the Championship to a mid/low table Championship side because we let the likes of Howson, Gradel, Snoddy, Becchio, Beckford, Delph, Johnson etc leave over the years. We went from needing a couple of good additions to go up for sure to well this. We’re 15th in the league now, says it all.

spellz

Totally agree with you Matthew.

lufcboy

All you hear from BMD is that the “situation with the ownership needs to be sorted” well sorry BMD you can’t keep using that one. Facts are that 2 wins from 15 games is not good enough and maybe the “Cornfather” was right to sack you but not in the wrong way. It’s a results game at the end of the day and you’re simply not getting the results. BMD nice bloke and was very dignified when you were treated disgracefully (shit on)- BUT TIME TO GO.

spellz

Yup!!

Matthew

Maddening thing is, had we had 6 wins from 15 games, we’d be in 6th place. It’d still be a shit run of form but we’d be in the playoffs lol

spellz

that is why to me the Championship really is the hardest League in the world to get promoted out of.

Matthew

Not really, you just need consistency, the ability to perform week in week out. If you can perform to a consistent level and pick up points week in week out you’ll be where you want to be. Look at Leicester, they fell apart a bit last season but have patched the holes pretty much and are now first. They are first because they have been consistent this season. Something we’ve lacked.

spellz

Precisely, how can you be consistent in a league where every opponent can beat you, Leicester have done well as they have had money to spend which over the past two seasons have given them a bit of an edge apart from that every game for everyone is a scrap just like you said 6 wins from 15 we would be 6th, hardest League ever.

Matthew

I don’t think just money will get you promoted, certainly other sides have done it by consistency and grinding out results. Throwing money at a team won’t always achieve promotion. A good team that goes out there and performs consistently week in week out will do well. A good team that performs poorly every other week will still be in the Championship. While a lot of teams are capable of beating other teams, there is an air of mediocrity in this division, we have some genuinely poor teams in this league. You only have to see how we’re only 15th after our dreadful run. Anyway Leicester deserve to be where they are, not because of the money but because they have improved over a period of time. Points mentioned above, would rather see them 1st than say QPR who have attempted to buy their way to the Prem.

spellz

I never said money buys you promotion but it certainly does help in the case of a team like leicester who as you said have constantly been improving, on that note though there is no doubt about it that money in a club CAN buy success look around you at each league in England, who were Man City, Chelsea before the money? just average teams yet last night I was watching Barcelona v Man City in the Champions League last 16 and I think your forgetting that Q.P.R did buy success and went up to the premier league after Bernie Ecclestone and co took over, its no fluke that Q.P.R went up soon after money paved the way under you guessed it the same man that incorporated hoofball to our squad.

henrymouni

Brian is losing his way.
Irrespective of the lack of funds in the past, Brian has had support to bring in 4 ‘top’ players, with another on the way to improve the squad for the big push.
However the team is playing worse with every passing week.
We are sliding towards relegation, and if we go into liquidation (perish the thought), and get 10 points deducted, we could be back in Div 1!!!!
This is what is facing us, if things collapse with Mr C.
The players are not responding to Brian, even though he is working with them all week.
You fear that Mr Buckland (who can kiss the World Cup goodbye) and Mr Wickham (not the villain from ‘Pride & Prejudice’) will lose their ‘shine’ as the weeks progress.
We are in a battle to survive now, as we enjoy our yearly slide of disappointment!!
Brian did say that the takeover did not affect the squad, as they were pro’s, and were paid to perform.
He is now saying the takeover is to blame.
This nonsense about players being afraid to play at ER is complete tripe.
Our home record is much better than our away record so it is cobblers.
Also Rochdale & Sheff Wed were AWAY games!!
He is waffling!

Matthew

No question about it, we would get relegated if we had a points deduction for Admin. I think it’ll be a good 46-48 points to survive in this league this season. If we had 10-15 points deducted, where the hell do we get the required points to survive from? While I don’t think we’ll go into admin, we’d have the JPT to look forward too next season, we could win it even lol

Ian Giggal

You make some excellent points, and I can’t say you are wrong in your statements. But what is the point of sacking him now? The season is over, there is no coming back. And until the chaos behind the scenes with TOMA, who in their right mind would want to come in to this quagmire. I just don’t see any upside to paying out his contract at this juncture, with no money and no hope of the playoffs, it’s just another debt we can’t afford. At least he wants to be here. If he can do anything with the bag of shit he has, then maybe it is worth keeping him over the summer. Or not. But sacking him at this time seems pointless. Bringing a new manager in for the end of the season hasn’t worked before, why would it work now? We aren’t going to get quality until someone owns the club and administration isn’t a damoclesean shadow looming above us.

Ev

Christ is this site the place where people come to stick their heads in the sand ??? Its too late to back BM !!!
The last time to do that was in January……..haven’t you noticed the manner of our defeats ?? They didn’t just lose, the players are completely demoralized, the rots been there for months and Brian is having no impact on it….nay if anything his interviews suggest hes just as nervous and distressed as his players so hes certainly adding to the mood ! The club needs change, yes we know the club cant afford to sack BM but it needs to happen at some point for the club to move forwards………

CHRIS

2 wins in 15 games, and he sat at home for one of those. Spent more money than any Leeds manager has for years. Thinks Wootton is worth £1m. His team just rolls over. Sorry takeover is a reason to show steel, not whimper in the corner. Taxi for bmd, and if all goes ok tomorrow, let Cellino choose his own man. If not admin is on the horizon and L1 for sure.

Clive

If you were a strong supporter of McDermott from day one then you need to shut up for a bit and take a long hard look at yourself.

It was obvious from day one that it was a rotten appointment, if you felt otherwise then what are your views worth?

And it’s not like you’ve suddenly woken up because you’re still posting rubbish about Grayson.

“but you knew a response was coming when Simon Grayson’s team were humiliated. You knew he’d take action, whether that meant isolating players and causing a bit of tension, the club’s form soon corrected itself.”

How many times do you accept a humiliation?

Four straight defeats without scoring in League 1, where was the reaction there?

We were top of the league and fell apart in League 1, we were 2nd in the league and fell apart in the Championship.

Grayson’s ‘isolating players and causing a bit of tension’ is partly to blame for the mess we find ourselves in at the moment.

Grayson and McDermott are two cheeks of the same arse and you wouldn’t give either a job in Poundland.

We need to stop pretending that joke managers are wonderful if this club is going to go anywhere.

Let this be a watershed.

Ev

Erm…..Grayson got us promoted from Div 1…….Leeds never played this badly under him even when Bates sold half his team to Norwhich….. We didn’t fall apart in the championship……..when we got to 2nd we needed to buy in January to consolidate a promotion charge but Bates didn’t fancy being promoted and having to pay lots of debt off. We dropped to 6th. The next season he had all his players sold………. yet I never saw his team play like we did at Rochdale or Shef wed……theres a big difference
There is no comparison between this season and Grayson

Clive

I’m not having a Grayson argument again when we have this clown to worry about.

Al

The Sheffield Wednesday match was bad enough. McDermott’s dalliance in the transfer market has been awfull. He’s gotta go. There’s no excuse.